Scores of tennis lovers – old and young, fit and fris – filled Bonfoi and Bordeaux streets in Westridge on Tuesday to show off their bat-and-ball skills in the street.
The players came prepared in their shorts and takkies and dusted off their wooden bats to vie for the Street Tennis Champion of 2023 title.
This is the second year of the event hosted by Unchain the Plain and Mitchells Plain resident Rodney “Scarra” Brown. It attracted well-known faces and voices, even getting rival politicians to shake hands and bow out gracefully when they lost.
Back in the day, street tennis courts were usually drawn with sand or chalk, with potato or onion sakkies used for nets, as youngsters imagined themselves starring at Wimbledon.
Chairperson Ryan Crouse said Unchain the Plain took the same concept and introduced it to laaities who only know about the internet.
“Street tennis is something we grew up playing and is something we want our kids to learn, without needing a phone in hand. This is Wimbledon on Bonfoi, real tennis!” an excited Crouse explained.
But, the day wasn’t all about showing off your backhand, as kids were also treated to free haircuts by the Mobile Barber, Brandon Court.
Among the famous faces who came to play were radio personalities Aden Thomas, Julian Cranford, Ryan O’ Connor, Independent Media journalist and influencer Venecia Valentine, as well as MEC for Community safety Reagen Allen, his political nemesis Nazier Paulsen, Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews, and several others.
Allen, who beat EFF’s Paulsen, smiled from ear to ear as his fired-up team supported him.
“This is a win for the whole of Mitchells Plain. We know how important sport is to the contribution of our youth. I am a firm believer in ‘a child in sport is a child away from court’,” Allen said.
“To be honest I didn’t practise. It is all about the muscle memory, it shows how much we played this [in our youth].
"It is also not the first time I beat Nazier, I did it in a cook-off and at the polls,” he joked.
Paulsen took the loss graciously, adding that the game was a great initiative.
“This is a great way to get the youth off the internet and behind the net. It’s also wonderful to be back in the streets,” he said.
However, he denied that Allen beat him in a cook-off.
Meanwhile, a winded Venecia, who lost her match, blamed her equipment: “There is something wrong with the bats, it’s faulty.”
Allen battled Thomas in the finals and came out victorious and crowned the Street Tennis Champion of 2023.
tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za